IN-FORM ZEMURA SHINES

Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter

JORDAN ZEMURA has garnered a lot of experience in the Warriors colours and it was on full display when Zimbabwe beat Namibia 1-0 in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier behind closed at Orlando Stadium in South Africa yesterday.

The Udinese star has always shown his quality but his rather conservative approach to the game hasn’t been helping his cause.

That the Warriors had before yesterday won just one competitive game, the 2-1 victory over Guinea in the African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon back in January 2022, with Zemura on the field of play, has rather been working against his profile.

But he stepped up to the plate yesterday with a flawless show that won Zimbabwe a penalty that was bundled home by Khama Billiat for the only goal of the game 34 minutes into the reverting Southern African derby.

The result left Zimbabwe on top of Group J, at least for a full day, before Cameroon and Kenya clash in the other pool match today.

While the Warriors had to battle to the maximum points in a match in which they had to put in a solid defensive shift in the second period to smoother the Brave Warriors, it is Zemura who walked off the empty Soweto venue feeling quite satisfied.

Zemura flexed his authority defensively and offensively.

He is on top of his game for his club Udinese and scored the winning goal in their 1-0 victory over Lecce.

“I am yet to score a goal for the Warriors but I am very happy to have been involved in some way in the build-up to the goal which we scored against Namibia,” said Zemura.

“It was a tough match because we wanted it and Namibia also needed the win.

“But, at the end of the day, I am really happy to see us getting over the line.

“It felt strange to play before empty terraces. We needed the fans to cheer us on but we knew they were following action in whatever means and we had to make them proud.

“It wasn’t really one of the greatest performances from us but we are glad it was good enough to earn us the win that will help us a lot going forward.”

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